The present invention relates generally to a medication control and dispensing assemblage and, in particular, to such an assemblage including an improved combination of a container lid frame attachment and associated drug dispensing container.
In the medical dispensing field, a wide variety of approaches exist for assuring that the patient receives their medication from medication dispensing devices. One known dispensing system includes the utilization of a medication containing and dispensing carton. Typically, these cardboard cartons are filled by a pharmacist with individually packaged medicines. Thereafter, the cartons are closed and labeled by the pharmacist for subsequent use. Generally, each carton is opened by a nurse or other person in charge of administering the medicine. In this regard, the carton is provided with a top or lid which when in the open condition defines a medication dispensing opening. Usually, the upper surface of the lid contains a label from the pharmacist so that the medication can be properly dispensed. During the administering of medication from these cartons, if the lids are not closed there is a chance of spilling or other inadvertent transfers of medication from one carton to adjacent cartons when such cartons are mounted in adjacent relationship. In addition, to have the full dimensions of the dispensing opening available facilitates access to the individual medication doses. However, sometimes the carton lids can be bent or sometimes crushed into the dispensing opening, therefore inhibiting dispensing and otherwise minimizing the capacity of the dispensing system.
Another known approach for drug control and dispensing is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,753. This approach relates to the use of a combination of a carton containing medicine and a releasably attachable tray lid attachable to the top flap of each carton. The lid is connectable to the top flap and includes a pair of hinge elements that are required for pivotal mounting on a tray for the device to operate as intended. In this regard, the tray is also formed with tray lid supporting structure for allowing the tray lid to pivot. Drawbacks associated with this approach are that it is rather cumbersome for the nurse to use. For instance, the nurse is continually involved with attaching and releasing the carton top to the lid during use of the carton. In this regard, the carton with a reorder label on it must first be attached to the tray lid and to do this the nurse must flex the box lid to attach the box lid to the tray lid. When it is time to reorder the drugs, the reorder label strip on the carton is used. However, to obtain this label, the nurse must release the carton lid from the tray lid and then remove the reorder label. Thereafter, the nurse must reattach the carton lid to the tray lid in a manner as noted before. Moreover, the foregoing approach is costly to manufacture because of its several costly components and the releasable attachment structure as well as the tray lid pivot design are not entirely reliable.
Accordingly, there is a continuing desire to improve upon the drawbacks noted in the prior art by providing an improved medication control and dispensing package assemblage.